Leg for stacking trays

ABSTRACT

A bracket assembly in the form of an upstanding angle iron and with its upper end embracingly engaging a corner portion of an upwardly opening tray. The lower end of the angle iron projects downwardly below the bottom wall structure of the tray and the free upstanding edge portions of the flange portions of the angle iron terminate in inwardly directed upstanding leg-retaining flanges. An upstanding leg structure has its upper end embracingly received between the flanges of the angle iron and abutted against the undersurface of the bottom wall structure of the tray, the upper end portion of the angle iron being secured to adjacent side wall portions of the tray and the lower end portion of the angle iron being secured to the upstanding leg.

United States Patent 1 Urban 1 1 LEG FOR STACKING TRAYS [76] Inventor: Robert F. Urban, 7785 Mentor Ave., Mentor, Ohio 44060 [22] Filed: Oct. 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 298,245

[52] U.S. Cl. 248/146, 211/126 [51] Int. Cl. Fl6m 13/00 [58] Field of Search 211/126, 71, 177; 248/151, 248/146, 188.8, 127, 188; 287/2092 D;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,147,975 7/1915 Ruff 248/146 X 1,667,913 5/1928 Weston 211/126 1,800,148 4/1931 Mahoney et al. 248/1888 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 707,476 4/1965 Canada 287/2092 D 14 1 Oct. 1, 1974 Primary ExaminerWilliam H. Schultz Assistant Examiner-Robert W. Gibson, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmClarence A. OBrien; Harvey B. Jacobson 5 7 ABSTRACT A bracket assembly in the form of an upstanding angle iron and with its upper end embracingly engaging a corner portion of an upwardly opening tray. The lower end of the angle iron projects downwardly below the bottom wall structure of the tray and the free upstanding edge portions of the flange portions of the angle iron terminate in inwardly directed upstanding legretaining flanges. An upstanding leg structure has its upper end embracingly received between the flanges of the angle iron and abutted against the undersurface of the bottom wall structure of the tray, the upper end portion of the angle iron being secured to adjacent side wall portions of the tray and the lower end portion of the angle iron being secured to the upstanding leg.

3 Claims, 7 Drawing lFigures FATENIEU 937 mm 1 a JAI/[II LEG FOR STACKING TRAYS The leg assembly of the instant invention has been primarily designed for use with upwardly opening trays such as those utilized as starting beds for plants of various types and particularly those trays which are used in the mushroom growing industry.

The leg structure of the instant invention may there fore be utilized in various environments. In addition, the leg structure enables a plurality of trays to be stacked one upon the other and also provides an economical means of attaching legs to conventional trays.

The main object of this invention is to provide a leg structure for upwardly opening trays that may be readily attached to existing trays and incorporated into the manufacture of trays presently being produced.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a leg structure in accordance with the immediately preceding object and which enjoys a high strength-toweight ratio.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tray structure including four depending comer legs and tray structures vertically stackable in a manner to minimize the stresses to be placed on the sides and ends of the stacked trays as well as the fasteners utilized to secure the legs to the tray corner portions and to enable the vertical stresses tobe transferred directly through the ends of the tray sides and end panels and the tray legs.

A further object of this invention is to provide a leg assembly consisting of two components that may be readily joined together and secured to an existing tray.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a leg structure that will require little or no maintenance throughout the expected life of the associated tray.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a leg structure for trays in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

FIG. I is a side elevational view of a stack of three trays equipped with the leg structure of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional viewtaken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the leg assembly;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of one corner portion of a conventional form of upwardly opening tray to which a leg assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention has been secured;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view ofa leg assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention as seen from the rear of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a corner portion of an upwardly opening tray as seen from beneath and with a leg structure in accordance with the present invention secured to the tray.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional form of tray including opposite side and end walls 12 and 14 joined together in any conventional manner (not shown) at adjacent ends and with a slat-type bottom wall structure referred to in general by the reference numeral 16 extending between and secured to the lower marginal edge portions of the side walls 12 and the end walls 14. The bottom wall structure 16 includes a plurality of transversely extending elongated slats 18 which are secured to the lower marginal edge portions of the side walls 12. The slats 18 are disposed in parallel side-by-side relation and the endmost slats 18 are also secured to the lower marginal edge portions of the end walls 14 in any convenient manner (not shown).

The upwardly opening trays or receptacles 10 are conventional in design and may be utilized for various purposes. In particular, trays such as the trays 10 are utilized in the nursery industry for starting small plants and also in the mushroom growing industry.

While the trays l0 adequately perform the desired function, after plants have been started therein and project above the upper edges of the side walls 12 and 14 the trays must be stored in unstacked relation in order to provide necessary air circulation for the young plants and to also provide light for nursery plants. Accordingly, a need exists for a means whereby the trays 10 may be supported from one another in vertically stacked and spaced apart relation whereby a greater number of trays 10 may be placed in a given plan area.

The leg structure of the instant invention is referred to in general by the reference numeral 20 and includes an attaching bracket 22 and an upstanding leg member 23. The attaching brackets 22 are identical and each comprises an upright angle member 25 including a pair of upstanding relatively angulated main mounting flanges 24 and 26. The flanges 24 and 26 are creased as at 28 and 30, respectively, in order to increase the leg structure strength to resist side loading of the legs due to bumping or sliding the trays on a surface. The upper end portions of the mounting flanges 24 and 26 include vertically spaced sets of three apertures 32 each. Also, the lower ends of the mounting flanges 24 each includes a pair of apertures 34 and the lower end of each flange 26 includes a single aperture 36.

Each angle member 25 is secured to a corresponding corner portion of the associated tray '10 by means of at least one pair of bolts 38, or other suitable fasteners, secured through the apertures 32 and the corresponding side wall 12 and end wall 14. Also, with attention invited more specifically to FIG. 2,. an optional inside angle bracket 40 may be provided to brace each corner of the tray 10 from the inside thereof and the bolts 38 may also be secured through the corresponding flanges of the angle bracket 40.

The free upstanding edge portions of the lower ends of the mounting flanges 24 and 26 terminate in upstanding inwardly directed leg retaining flanges 42 and the free upstanding edge portions of the leg retaining 3 flanges 42 terminate in upstanding further inwardly di rected tongue flanges 44.

Each upstanding leg member 23 is generally square in cross-sectional shape and two adjacent sides 46 of each leg member 23 includes upstanding grooves 48 which open endwise upwardly and downwardly through the upper and lower end faces 50 and 52, respectively, of the leg member 23. Each leg member 23 is snugly embraced between the lower ends of the mounting flanges 24 and 26 and the leg retaining flanges 42. Further, the tongue flanges 44 are snugly slidably received in the grooves 48. Accordingly, it may be seen that after the angle member 25 has been secured to a corresponding corner portion of the tray the corresponding leg member 23 may be lengthwise advanced upwardly into engagement with the lower end of the angle member 25. It is of course to be understood that the inner surfaces of the various flanges at the lower end of each angle member 25 are frictionally engaged with the opposing outer surfaces of the associated leg member 23 and that the tongue flanges 44 are snugly seated in the grooves 48 with those portions 58 of the leg members 23, see FIG. 3, clamped between the opposing surfaces of the tongue flanges 44 and the mounting flanges 24 and 26.

The upper end of each leg member 23 abuts the underside of the corresponding corner portion of the bottom wall structure 16 and projects above the upper marginal edge portions of the corresponding flanges 42 and 44. In addition, the lower ends of the legs 23 project downwardly below the lower ends of the angle members 26 and the side and end walls 12 and 14 project slightly above the upper end of the angle member 25.

In order to ensure that the leg members 23 will be anchored to the angle member 25, suitable nails 60 may be secured through the apertures 34 and 36 and anchored in the leg members 23.

By having the upper marginal edge portions of the side walls 12 and 14 project above the upper ends of the angle members 25 and the lower ends of the leg members 23 project below the lower ends of the angle members 25, a plurality of trays may be stacked one upon the other in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings with the trays enjoying only wood-to-wood contact with each other. In addition, inasmuch as the upper end faces 50 of the leg members 23 abut the underside corner portions of the bottom wall structure 16, the weight of each tray 10 bears down upon the supporting surface therefor only through its legs 23 and independent of the angle members 25. Thus, the fasteners 38 and the nails 60 are not placed in shear relation and therefore the bolts 38 and nails 60 do not have heavy stresses placed thereupon and will serve to support the leg members 23 from the trays l0 beyond the expected life of the trays l0. Also,'it is believed evident that the angle members, which are constructed of metal, may be readily removed from a tray which is worn out and be applied to a new tray for the purpose of attaching new legs to the new tray.

The foregiong is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination with an upwardly opening receptacle including pairs of adjacent corner defining relatively angulated and substantially upright peripheral side walls and including a bottom structure extending and connected between the lower marginal portions of said side walls, a mounting bracket comprising an upright angle member including a pair of relatively angulated mounting flanges, the upper end portions of said mounting flanges overlying and secured to the outer surfaces of substantially the full vertical extent of adjacent side wall end portions of one pair of said side walls with said mounting flange upper end portions extending continuously around the corresponding receptacle corner from one upstanding edge of said angle member to the other upstanding edge and with the lower end portions of said flanges projecting below the adjacent portions of said bottom structure and including free upstanding marginal edge portions terminating in up standing inwardly directed angulated leg-retaining flanges, an upstanding leg member having its upper end portion embracingly received between and lengthwise removably telescoped into the area bound by said mounting flange lower end portions and said retaining flanges with the upper end of said leg member abutted against the corresponding corner of said bottom structure and the lower end of said leg member projecting downwardly below the lower extremities of said mounting and leg-retaining flanges, and fastener means removably secured through at least one of said mounting flange lower end portions and removably anchored relative to said leg member, the free upstanding marginal edge portions of said leg-retaining flanges terminating in inwardly angulated upstanding tongue flanges and the opposing sides of said leg including upstanding grooves in which said tongue flanges are received, the upper ends of said grooves opening upwardly through the upper ends of said leg member, the upper extremities of said retaining flanges terminating closely adjacent, but slightly below said bottom structure.

2. The combination of claim 1 including fasteners secured through said mounting flange upper end portions and said one pair of side walls.

3. The combination of claim 2 including a corner angle bracket overlying the inner surface portions of said adjacent side wall end portions, the inner ends of said fasteners being secured through said corner angle bracket. 

1. In combination with an upwardly opening receptacle including pairs of adjacent corner defining relatively angulated and substantially upright peripheral side walls and including a bottom structure extending and connected between the lower marginal portions of said side walls, a mounting bracket comprising an upright angle member including a pair of relatively angulated mounting flanges, the upper end portions of said mounting flanges overlying and secured to the outer surfaces of substantially the full vertical extent of adjacent side wall end portions of one pair of said side walls with said mounting flange upper end portions extending continuously around the corresponding receptacle corner from one upstanding edge of said angle member to the other upstanding edge and with the lower end portions of said flanges projecting below the adjacent portions of said bottom structure and including free upstanding marginal edge portions terminating in upstanding inwardly directed angulated leg-retaining flanges, an upstanding leg member having its upper end portion embracingly received between and lengthwise removably telescoped into the area bound by said mounting flange lower end portions and said retaining flanges with the upper end of said leg member abutted against the corresponding corner of said bottom structure and the lower end of said leg member projecting downwardly below the lower extremities of said mounting and leg-retaining flanges, and fastener means removably secured through at least one of said mounting flange lower end portions and removably anchored relative to said leg member, the free upstanding marginal edge portions of said leg-retaining flanges terminating in inwardly angulated upstanding tongue flanges and the opposing sides of said leg including upstanding grooves in which said tongue flanges are received, the upper ends of said grooves opening upwardly through the upper ends of said leg member, the upper extremities of said retaining flanges terminating closely adjacent, but slightly below said bottom structure.
 2. The combination of claim 1 including fasteners secured through said mounting flange upper end portions and said one pair of side walls.
 3. The combination of claim 2 including a corner angle bracket overlying the inner surface portions of said adjacent side wall end portions, the inner ends of said fasteners being secured through said corner angle bracket. 